1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a dispenser for sanitary gloves in general and to a dispenser for individual packaged, sanitary gloves in individual sanitary environments in particular.
Due to the increasing seriousness of present day diseases, such as acquired immune deficiency, where the disease is acquired by contact with the body fluids of infected individuals, it is of the utmost importance for health workers and other individuals who come into close contact with a wide variety of individuals in a professional capacity, to protect themselves and prevent the spread of disease to others.
One method of protection against the spread of disease is to use a separate pair or disposable sanitary gloves for each individual contacted in a professional capacity by health workers and other professionals.
In the past sanitary gloves have been dispensed to professionals from a cardboard of similar box, wherein the gloves are randomly selected from a "pile"of gloves which are not individually protected from being cross-contaminated when someone reaches into the box to select a pair of gloves for use.
The present invention solves this problem by providing a dispenser which dispenses individual gloves which are contained in individual sanitary environments.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Several types of dispensers have been used in the past to dispense towels, gloves, sterile swabs and the like.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,107,782 to Jaroff et al relates to a dispensing package for sterile swabs. The dispenser is constructed from a suitable box material such as cardboard, heavy paper of the like which contains an insert made of the same material. Surgical swabs are packaged in separate and individual swab containers. The swabs are dispensed through the top of the dispenser.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,153,278 to Shelley discloses a dispensing holder for paper towels which facilitates the loading of the holder with a pack of towels and their removal one by one as desired. The device consists of a towel dispensing holder containing a casing open at the front to receive a perforated pack of towels; supporting means for the pack includes a horizontal supporting bar, a pusher for said towels extending transversely across the interior of the casing and a delivery opening in front of the casing for dispensing the towels. The towels are removed from the dispenser by tearing them from the supporting member.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,341,119 to Rost discloses a paper towel dispenser which is described as constructed to provide for the ready removal of a single towel from the package. The device consists of a tab carried by each sheet of towel and connected by an easily severed bottom portion to an overlying sheet, therein the tab on an underlying sheet in the package will be raised to a position to be readily grasped and the top sheet is torn from the pack.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,537,330 to Gelbard relates to a dispenser for plastic bags which consist of two side panels, top and bottom panels and a back panel forming a rigid container. The front panel is hingedly attached to the bottom panel for opening and closing the dispenser. The dispenser contains a U-shaped hanger which supports the plastic bags. The bags are dispensed through an opening in the front of the dispenser near the bottom of said dispenser by tearing a perforated section of the bindings of pads of the plastic bags.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,844,293 to Mclaughlin describes a dispensing apparatus for disposable, thin plastic gloves wherein the gloves may be retrieved by the user one at a time. The device consists of a box like, rectangular type enclosure for housing a removably mounted packet containing a plurality of gloves. The dispenser contains a front window and a removable top cover or cap. The gloves are biasly urged toward the front window of the dispenser using a leaf spring arrangement to present the outermost glove to the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,863,084 to Nabozny relates to a hip holster for gloves. The device consists of a portable, disposable gloves dispensing system which can be worn by the user. In particular, the device has a support and attachment plate member to which are securely attached a plurality of gloves. Optionally, the device contains a frangible line of detachment, waist strap members, apertures for attachment to the user's belt and a stabilizer band.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,088,620 to Kellihur et al discloses a dispenser for gloves consisting of a tubular body having a first end and a second end and having a spring disposed therein. The spring is attached to a movable disc shaped member. A flexible nipple shaped element having a first end and a second end is secured to the disc shaped member at the first end and secures a plurality of gloves therein. A top element slidably fits over the top of the tubular body and has an opening therein and a diaphragm element having an aperture therein. The spring urges the disc member against the nipple shaped member containing the gloves, allowing for removal of one glove at a time from the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,096,089 to McLaughlin describes a dispensing device for thin, disposable plastic gloves which allows for the removal of gloves one at a time from the device. The dispensing apparatus consists of a rectangular shaped enclosure for housing a removably mounted packet containing a plurality of gloves. The gloves are arranged in closely spaced, parallel relationship to one another for removal one at a time through an opening in the walls of said enclosure. The packet of gloves includes a mounting strip which extends across the upper wrist portion of the stack of gloves and is fixed to each glove above the tear line. Each glove is removed by exerting a downward force through the opening of the enclosure.
As can readily be determined from the foregoing, there is an ongoing research effort and a need to develop and produce new and novel dispensing devices for gloves and the like.